She grinned and asked, “Do you think I don’t know that? I’m trans, Jack. Can you even begin to imagine the cruelty I’ve endured over the last two decades, ever since I started to transition in my late teens?”
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
“Don’t look so sad,” she said. “I didn’t tell you that because I wanted pity. I was just trying to make the point that I’m not naïve, and I don’t automatically see the best in everyone. If anything, I’m actually pretty jaded. I also think I’m an excellent judge of character.” I must have looked skeptical, because she asked, “Do you disagree?”
“I do, because you trusted me, and you really shouldn’t have.” Hell, I was leaving soon anyway. Might as well put my cards on the table, in case it kept her from trusting the wrong person in the future. “I’m not a good man, JoJo. Not by a long shot. I lie and steal and screw people over, and I don’t even feel bad about it…usually.”
I broke eye contact, and she repeated, “Usually?”
“I’ve been off my game recently. Right before I met you, I took something from a man I actually kind of liked, and I regret it. In fact, I wish I could go back in time and change things, but that’s obviously not an option.” I glanced at her and added, “Don’t worry though, I’ve never had any intention of stealing from you or your family.”
JoJo seemed remarkably unphased by my confession. “That doesn’t make you a bad person, Jack. It just means you’ve made some bad decisions in the past. And even if you can’t go back and change things, maybe there’s still a way to make things right. Can you go see that man and give back whatever you took from him?”
“I thought about that, but there’s a good chance he’d shoot me on sight.”
“For real?”
I nodded, and after a moment I said, “You know what I could do, though? I could mail his watch back to him with an apology, and then go and see him once he’s had a chance to calm down a bit. I don’t know why he’d forgive me, but it’s worth a try, right?”
“Definitely. And if it’s just a watch, maybe it’s not even that big a deal to him.”
“No, it’s a big deal.” I pushed back the sleeve of the oversized unicorn sweatshirt Lark had loaned me, unfastened the Rolex from my forearm, and handed it to her across the coffee table.
“Oh wow,” she murmured, as she examined it closely. “This is platinum.”
“It is. It’s also a sought-after vintage design, and worth as much as a car.” She handed it back to me, and I stared at it as I said, “When I spotted this watch, I knew it was a game changer. The goal was to sell it and use the money to improve things for both myself and my mother.”
I looked up at JoJo and quickly added, “Not that I’m trying to justify stealing it. I’m also not trying to make myself sound like a good person with noble motives. I’m a two-bit thief, and there’s no point in sugar-coating it. But I regret taking this, and I want to give it back.”
“You can. I think the idea of mailing it back to its owner with an apology is a good one.”
I returned the watch to my arm and pulled the sleeve over it as I said, “As long as I’m finally being honest with you, I should mention I was running from the watch’s owner when I climbed over your fence. He pulled a gun on me when he caught me robbing him, and then he chased me. I thought cutting through all the yards on this block would help me get away from him.”
“Thank you for telling me the truth.”
I picked up my phone from the coffee table and said, “Anyway, I’m going to call a cab and get out of here. I’m really sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
“Spend one more night,” she said. “The whole family’s getting together this evening for that taco feast I told you about, and I know you were looking forward to it.”
“You don’t have to keep being nice to me,” I muttered. “You know what I am now, and this obviously changes everything.”
“What you are is my friend, Jack.” When I met her gaze, I saw nothing but compassion in her eyes. “Nothing’s changed, and even when you’re no longer sleeping on my couch, I fully expect our friendship to continue.”
I was feeling uncharacteristically emotional, and I ducked my head as I mumbled, “I don’t deserve you.”
“Come on. Like I’m a saint? We’ve all done things we’re not proud of, and it’s impossible to rewrite the past. The best any of us can do is learn from our mistakes moving forward.”
“But in my case, I feel like it goes deeper than that—like all those mistakes merged over time, and they’re just who I am now.”
“That’s only true if you let it be,” she said. Then she picked up the plate of cookies and held it out to me. “Now would you please have some of these before I eat all of them? I can’t resist homemade chocolate chip.”
I got the hint—she was ready for us to move past this. As I helped myself to a cookie, I smiled at her and said, “Thanks, JoJo.” That thank you was for a lot more than just some baked goods.
* * *
As a compromise, I decided to head home after dinner, instead of occupying their couch another night. First though, I stuffed myself full of fried fish tacos and chips with homemade guacamole, and then I spent the evening hanging out with JoJo and the rest of the family.
This included Logan and Lucky, the couple who lived in the house directly behind the pink Victorian, along with Owen, their toddler. Kids usually got on my last nerve, but Owen was adorable. He was also a bad judge of character like the rest of them, because he kept bringing me toys and climbing on me and acting like I was his new best friend.